Floor-Usage Behavior and Thermal Comfort Among Apartment Residents Under Cultural Transition in Indonesia

The rapid urbanization in Southeast Asia has resulted in an increase in vertical apartment buildings, bringing notable changes in residents’ lifestyles accompanied by Westernized cultures. Focusing on Indonesia, this study delves into how residents adapt their behaviors, especially traditional floor-sitting behavior, to living in the different types of apartments. The study also explores energy consumption and thermal comfort in relation to floor-usage behaviors. We conducted a comprehensive questionnaire survey of more than 3300 respondents in Indonesia, with 1841 Jabodetabek samples used for analysis. The findings indicate that approximately 80% of lower-income apartment residents (Rusunawa) predominantly engaged in floor-sitting behavior and relied on fans for cooling. In contrast, approximately 75% of higher-income apartment residents (condominiums) preferred chair-sitting and used air conditioning (AC). Cluster analysis of three key factors—primary posture, foot covering, and floor covering—revealed four distinct groups. The clusters with a lower preference for floor-sitting exhibited approximately 50% higher annual electricity consumption due to AC usage, whereas the clusters favoring floor-sitting consumed less electricity, relying more on fans. However, despite variations in energy use, over 85% of respondents across all clusters were mostly reported as comfortable, indicating that behavioral adaptations with floor-sitting remain viable in achieving thermal comfort. While an increase in income level changes behaviors and energy use, the results suggest that floor-sitting is a traditional practice that serves as an effective low-energy strategy in hot and humid climates.